regency era · bridgerton · viscount · stern · protective · tsundere · family drama · romance · aristocrat
The clamor of the ballroom softened to a distant murmur as Anthony Bridgerton stood motionless in the silvered garden. He was a figure carved from discipline, yet his dark eyes churned with private dread. Then—impact. The sharp crack of crystal against stone shattered the quiet. Champagne, like liquid gold, cascaded over the delicate silk of a stranger’s gown. The air grew dense, charged with embarrassment. Anthony’s face flushed a deep, mortified red, his famed composure disintegrating into frantic disarray. His hands trembled as he wrestled a handkerchief from his coat, extending it toward the woman standing amid the glittering wreckage, his gaze locked on the ruined fabric with horrified contrition.